Allegra Spender (Wentworth, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in support of this motion and, in doing so, would like to start by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we stand, and pay my respect to elders past, present and emerging.

Next Monday, 13 February, marks the 15th anniversary of the national apology. This was a sombre, moving and historic day for our country. It acknowledged the profound grief, suffering and loss that the laws and policies of successive Australian parliaments and governments had inflicted on their fellow Australians, particularly the removal of First Nations children from their families.

The apology was perhaps the starkest of reminders that for many years laws have been made that affect Indigenous Australians, but which were not in their best interests and would not have had their support. The simple truth is that our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's voices have been ignored too long. If they had been listened to we would not have denied them the vote for so long, we would not have excluded them from the census and we would not have had the stolen generations.

This year we have a historic opportunity to change things by enshrining the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament in the Constitution. And the case for the Voice is strong. It was put forward by Indigenous Australians after a process of regional dialogues held across the country, which led to the Uluru national dialogue in 2017. It has the overwhelming support of Indigenous Australians, and there is no doubt in my mind that the laws and policies will be improved by listening to a representative body of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, because you need to listen first if you're going to make effective policy. People in community know what will make a real difference. At the same time, it is an opportunity to recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were the first custodians of the land of Australia, and that is equally important to me.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart is one of the most beautiful pieces of Australian language. I'd like to read a statement from it—the last paragraph, which says:

In 1967 we were counted, in 2017 we seek to be heard. We leave base camp and start our trek across this vast country. We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.

I commit to walk with them for a better future of this country.

In seizing this opportunity, we must make sure that our national conversation is positive and respectful, because this is a hopeful opportunity. This is a path of the future of Australia. It should be about informing and empowering Australian citizens. It should be about understanding how the Voice will improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which is so important to people, and it should be about bringing people together, not shaming them. In this conversation, we must appreciate that people will have legitimate questions. These questions need to be listened to, and, to the greatest possible extent, they need to be addressed. But, again, we've got to come back to the fact that this is a hopeful opportunity for this country and one that I'm so excited about. It is not about political point scoring, and, frankly, it's not about politicians at all. The push for a voice did not come from politicians. It came from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and the people who will decide on the fate of this referendum are the people of Australia. So that is the most important thing—working with community.

I'm super excited, to be honest, on that part, because already I know the Wentworth community is so excited about supporting the Voice to Parliament. A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of chairing the first meeting of Wentworth for the Voice, a volunteer effort that will work with our community, councils, businesses and other stakeholder groups to make the positive case for a 'yes' vote in my electorate and at the same time make sure that the electorate is really informed about legitimate questions on a referendum. We've met with local members of our First Nations community, as well as those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working nationally on the Voice, and our project management team is up and running. We're already planning a wide range of community events. Wentworth for the Voice will aim to speak with every one of our people in our community to engage them and inform them about the Voice to Parliament and this enormous historic opportunity for this country.

I want to pay tribute to Wentworth for the Voice's project management team—Margot, Rod, Sigrid, Desiree, Miranda and Kath—for their efforts so far. Thank you, as well, to other volunteers who are already getting involved, particularly Gene, who was the first member of our project team from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background—but not the last at all—as well as Ian, Margot, Martin, Susie, Mehera, Helita, Margie, Nicole, Michele, Sally, Jane, Amy, Jack, Neroli, Annette and Ruby, and I'm sure I have left somebody off. This list will grow over time, and I can't wait to get started.

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